Missing

Missing
by Becky Citra
4/5 stars
Reviewer: Deb

If you like horses and suspense this book is for you.  Set in Canada, we learn about Thea and her dad who move from town to town.  Thea is never able to stay long enough in one place to make friends.  This time Thea’s dad gets work renovating a guest ranch on Gumboot Lake. Thea makes friends with a local boy and works at building the trust of an abused horse.  When Thea tries to solve a decades-old mystery, she starts to come to terms with the losses in her life.

This book is fast reading and has enough suspense to make the reader want to know what happens next.

Geek Wisdom

Geek Wisdom, the Sacred Teachings of Nerd Culture

Editor: Stephen H Segal

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reviewer: Cheryl

Who knew that the secrets of Life could be found in science fiction movies, fantasy novels and comic books?  Geeks did.  You don’t just go around quoting lines from the nerdy reaches of pop culture unless you’ve found something truly worthwhile therein.

Geek Wisdom is a collection of essays on the philosophical meaning of some of the most commonly quoted gems.  Each is presented in a comfortably browsable format that explores the context and the layers of significance in the quote.  They are also often followed by some bit of trivia you can use to impress your geek friends.  The sources for these meditations are varied, from television and movies to literature to video games and internet memes.  In general, the sources are overlooked by the mainstream as being too modern or too fun to hold any true wisdom.  Still, the authors reveal what fans have known, at least subconsciously, all along. Regardless of the context, mankind seeks meaning in life and can’t resist sharing what they find along the way.  This book will entertain, but it will also have you watching the latest sci-fi blockbuster with new eyes.

I am the Messenger

I Am The Messenger

By: Markus Zusak

4.5/5 stars

Reviewer: Marina

I Am The Messenger is a novel of mystery, triumph, change, making a difference, and playing cards.  Narrator Ed Kennedy is a somewhat lost 19 year old taxi driver.  His life is stagnant and not really going the way he wants it to.  After accidentally foiling a bank robbery Ed starts receiving mysterious playing cards in the mail with puzzles written on them.  The puzzles direct him to his tasks once he can decipher them and Ed starts making a difference in people’s lives. 

This novel is a powerful and engaging story sure to keep you reading on.  Ed is a likeable character that you’ll want to see succeed.  Some of the scenes of the book can be a bit harsh and therefore possibly more suitable for older teens.  The book ultimately has a very positive message and will definitely leave you with things to think about. 

When You Wish Upon a Star

When You Wish Upon a Star
by Ned Washington
4/5 stars
Reviewer: Ana

Review:

This a wonderful book in which you can dream and hope your wishes might come true.  Everybody needs to believe that a wish may be possible. This book includes a CD which has 3 songs by Judy Collins. You can sing or read while listening to the CD.  And as you’re reading, don’t forget to look out the window. Find a star and make a wish; it just might come true!

Cleopatra: A Life

Cleopatra: A Life

Author: Stacy Schiff

Rating: 3.5/5 starts

Reviewer: Lydia

I was extremely excited to read Cleopatra: A Life because of all the hype, controversy and mystery surrounding the subject. I love Cleopatra and ancient Egypt and the premise of this book— peeling away the “myth” of Cleopatra and discovering the real woman—was intriguing and different. Unfortunately, even though Stacy Schiff’s novel won a Pulitzer Prize, the novel ultimately failed to deliver on what it set out to do.

            However, I still enjoyed the book. Schiff’s writing is descriptive and she is highly adept at describing history in a way that really brings it to life. I normally don’t read biographies, but because Schiff’s writing style is more literary, descriptive, and fanciful, it read more like a novel than a dry record of the past. I believe that Schiff worked well with what was available to her, as very few records from Cleopatra’s time exist (and nothing which Cleopatra wrote herself survives today). Therefore, I understand Schiff’s struggle in presenting a story in which all the records are lost, and the remaining records are biased, mistaken, or downright fabricated.

In the end, I enjoyed her writing, but felt that she focused far too much on other characters, instead of the sole person behind the book, the myth, and the mystery: Cleopatra herself. I would still recommend the book as a good foundation on the subject of ancient Egypt and Rome during Cleopatra’s reign.

Before I Fall

Before I Fall

By Lauren Oliver

4/5 stars

Reviewer: Nichole

How could one very self-centered, obnoxious teenage girl completely grow up and find herself in one day?  When that one day repeats over and over and over again, that’s how.

In the first chapter of the book we meet Samantha, we dislike Samantha, and then Samantha dies.  Or does she?  She wakes up after a horrible car crash as if it never happened and slowly firgures out she is reliving the day again.  Though Sam isn’t sure why she’s been given this opportunity, if it is an opportunity, she uses it to try to change the outcome of her own death.  That’s logical.  Wouldn’t we all?  But at the end of the day, she finds herself back in her bed, waking up to the same day again.

Are there any consequences to your actions if you just get one day to live any way you want, repeatedly?  Does anything you do matter?  Sam has lived her life without fear of the consequences of her narcissistic ways, but things only get worse when she realizes she can seduce a teacher, pick fights, and behave as badly as she wants, only to be able to redo it all again the next day.  Going through a myriad of emotions, Sam explores different relationships in her life with each new revisit to the same day -- some good; some very bad.  She starts seeing her friends in a whole new light, understanding the complexities of why people act like they do.  She starts seeing  people through clearer eyes, not marred by peer pressure and the drive to be among the most popular girls in school.  She spends time with her family and falls in love, filling holes in herself, watching people around her blossom with her sudden participation in their lives.  With each positive change, Sam gets closer and closer to figuring out why she’s continuing to relive this day and righting the wrongs of her life.  As she learns more about herself, you will like Sam more and more, and you will not want her to die.

How’s it end?  You have to read to find out.  It will surprise you.  And you will need Kleenex.

LaRue Across America

LaRue Across America
by Mark Teague
4/5 stars
Reviewer: Dawn

Summary:

Ike the dog has vacation plans for a peaceful cruise with his human, Mrs. LaRue. His plans come to a screeching halt though, when their neighbor, Mrs. Hibbins falls ill from heat stroke and has to go for an extended stay in the hospital. The problem is that Mrs. Hibbins has two mischievous cats and Mrs. LaRue has suggested that she and Ike take the cats along. Unfortunately, cats are not allowed on the cruise ship so Mrs. LaRue has decided to take them all on a week long road trip. What ensues is a hilarious series of postcards from Ike to Mrs. Hibbins begging for bus fare to send the two cats home. Will Ike and the cats be able to survive the journey and will cats and dogs ever learn to be friends? Find out in LaRue Across America!

Review:

What a fun book this one is! Teague has created a book with gorgeous illustrations, a hilarious story, and a little geographical education thrown in for fun. Ike’s efforts to rid Mrs. LaRue and himself of their travelling companions are laugh-out-loud funny. Readers will really get a kick out of the unique postcard illustrations as well. I’d recommend this book for a child who is old enough to sit through a longer picture book or anyone who enjoys a funny story!